Alta, CA — Rescue crews have recovered the body of a man who was killed after falling into a large sinkhole that opened up under his home in rural Placer County.
The sheriff´s department says 32-year-old Jason Chellew was pulled from the home around six p-m Sunday. Officials say he plunged ten feet into the ground and was buried under a pile of rubble when the sinkhole opened.
Investigators suspect the two-story home may have been sitting atop a decades-old underground mine. Recent rains could have softened the ground under the home, which is located near Lake Alta.
Authorities say Chellew was a teacher and was expecting his first child with his new bride, Kathy, who was in bed when the floor gave way under her husband.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 1:53 pm